Friday, 25 January 2013

Nocturnal Vomit - Cursed Relics

NOCTURNAL VOMIT - Cursed Relics (Kill Yourself Productions - LP 2012)

I must admit that I haven’t listened to
anything from Nocturnal Vomit for quite few years now. Somewhere around 2004 I
got their demo “Infernal Ascension of the Gods” and later I think I’ve also
listened to their EP “Arts of Tenebrous Superstition”, but that was years ago
and since then I just never had a chance to listen to anything from this Greek
band. It may be due to the fact that that demo, which I mentioned, sounded
rather mediocre and not as impressive to really bother about the band so much.
I don’t know, anyway I kind of lost interest in Nocturnal Vomit. But at the
same time I sort of kept watching what they were doing, I’ve also read some
interviews with the band throughout these years and in 2012 I’ve found out the
news about Nocturnal Vomit’s debut album, finally coming out after all these
years of their activity. It was surely a good opportunity to go back to their
music and check if I was interested in it at all. So, I purchased “Cursed
Relics” on CD first (and soon later also on LP) and I must say that the music
of this Greek band is nothing like what I have remembered from that old demo,
which I mentioned. Of corpse there’s almost 10 years between both releases, but
the progression and evolution, which the band went through in that time is huge.

One of the things for which I remembered
“Infernal Ascension of the Gods” was its raw, harsh and primitive sounding and
the music, which also was very raw, very chaotic and archaic as hell. It was
mainly death metal oriented, but surely it also had some influence of the black
and even the very old Teutonic thrash metal. Ha, I guess that moniker such as
Nocturnal Vomit must have been there for something! But with “Cursed Relics”
this name may be misleading, I mean someone may expect something more oppressive
and blackened and assume that Nocturnal Vomit will be in the vein of Revenge,
Black Witchery or Bestial Raids, but meanwhile “Cursed Relics” is nothing more
or less, but 666% pure death metal album, played in the classic way and with
the traditional meanings.

I’m glad to hear that Nocturnal Vomit got
better in every aspect of the music – starting from the production, which is
very brutal, heavy and massive, with awesome guitar tone, etc. This sound,
together with the music and the raspy vocals, reminds me now the good, old
Asphyx more than anything else. I mean Nocturnal Vomit uses the similar slow or
mid paced riffing and tempos all the way through their album, plus Thomas Vomit
really sounds like Martin van Drunen (or maybe Wannes Gubbels hehe?)… And because
I love Asphyx, then obviously I also liked “Cursed Relics” a lot. But I think
it would be totally unfair to just say that Nocturnal Vomit copies Asphyx, as
they also have something original in their music plus I think that together
with Asphyx some other bands, which influenced the Greeks would be Sadistic
Intent, Pentacle, Mortem, Grave, Morgoth and Soulburn. So basically everything
what’s best in the underground death metal! Obviously to mime the old bands is
not quite enough to impress. If you don’t have that something extra in your
music then it is a failure, but do not worry – Nocturnal Vomit has everything
in the right place, including the heart and soul for this kind of death metal.
This is very passionate, energetic and aggressive old school death metal and
really the Greeks have gathered a bunch of absolutely killer and essential
riffs around their neckbreaking songs and they really got it right. It’s even
difficult to point out any standout tracks, as I see the whole album to be on
the same high level, but maybe “Functions of Abomination” would be the one,
which I liked most? I also love “H ZΩH EN TAΦΟ (Outro)“. Anyway, I strongly
remind you, if you’re into the bands, which I’ve mentioned above, mainly Asphyx
and Pentacle, then this is an album for you.

Another couple of words need to be said about
the whole artwork for “Cursed Relics”. Nocturnal Vomit is not the first – and
most likely not last – band, which have used the works of phenomenal Polish
artist Zdzisław Beksiński. I love his paintings also, as he managed to create a
very unique and often very disturbing and dark atmosphere on this pictures.
They certainly fit perfectly to death or black metal albums and the one, which
has been used for “Cursed Relics” - or two, as the second one is on the back
cover – are some of the best ones ever. On the vinyl cover they look just
wonderfully, I love every detail of these paintings, including the colouring.
Oh, I really wish that the LP version also had a huge poster with that artwork;
I would certainly put it in frame and hang on the wall. Anyway, summing it all
up (the music plus the artwork), it turns out that “Cursed Relics” is one of
the most effective and memorable albums of the 2012 and one, which just has to
be in your collection!

1 comment:

What is this blog for...?

This blog is first and foremost to remind the UG metal community my work on PANZERFAUST zine, so I'll try to exhume my old interviews and reviews from that zine.

Blog is also an opportunity for me to share my thoughts on new releases, new bands... I'll publish here new reviews or interviews I've written recently, just for the pleasure of doing so and getting these things out of my mind, as I still enjoy writing about the music I love and live.Finally I'll be sharing here any others things I find interesting...